Every year I go to PirateFest (of course!), every year I expect big things and am all excited for it, then I walk in to the Convention Center and realize “there’s nothing to do here, this is awful.” But, I always end up having great time anyway.

If you’re in the area and are considering going, or if you’re not in the area and you’re wondering why the heck people go, here’s a breakdown of what takes place and why the Fest is worthwhile.

First of all, [here] is the team’s page describing the Fest and [here] is our recap of our time there one year ago.

What happens at Piratefest?

Autographs. I’m not a fan of them, but apparently a lot of people are, because the lines are always remarkably long for such mediocre players. Anyway, the full schedule and list of players available (past AND present) can be found at the link above.

Remember; not all these guys will be there all three days. Check the schedule if you want to seek out a particular guy. Again, I don’t do autographs at PirateFest, but hey, whatever floats your boat, I guess.

You’ll see a mini-baseball field set up for little clinics where JR, Joe Kerrigan, Don Long, and Tony Beasley will teach kids about baseball at various times.

Management Q+A Sessions. Ask NH, FC, or JR any question your heart desires, but don’t expect any answers different from the stuff we read pretty much daily.

Player Q+A. These are the ones you want to see. The Pirates are a group of funny, cool guys and they are pretty good at entertaining, especially when confronted with strange Q’s. Maybe you’ll learn a little, too.

Player-hosted “game shows.” Another fantastic, can’t miss feature. Pirates Deal or No Deal has become a hit, and it’s always hosted by a player or two and a few fans win quality prizes (20 ticket pack is the “million dollars”). We’ve enjoyed watching it the past few years–Zach Duke and Xavier Nady made for entertaining hosts. Also on the schedule this year: Wheel of Fortune, Password, Guitar Hero, and the annual fan Pierogie Eating Contests and Pirates Trivia, hosted by the Bucco announcers.

There’s a kids zone where you can find lots of activities for the youngsters. It’s similar to the ones outside the park on Sundays if you’ve ever been.

The “Lost Treasure” section: a shop with game-used jereseys from the most random Pirates of the last decade or so. If you ever had some ridiculously obscure favorite player (such as mine: Masumi Kuwata), this is the place to be. I do think the stuff is a bit expensive though.

You can buy tickets to games before they go on sale to the public. Not quite sure why you’d want to do this, but whatever.

There are booths and stations galore, from $1 games where you ca win leftover promotions from last year, to the Left Field Loonies hut (I am a proud Loonie member, but have never been to a game with them or anything…)

Plenty more, but you have to look. Maybe you’ll run into someone like Dejan or Rocco, or an announcer, or even a player in between sessions. One time we just ran into Jim Tracy and he signed my Pirates shirt (thankfully it washed off).

It’s pretty cheap. You get in for 12 bucks (4 for kids), plus you’ll walk away with all kinds of goodies, with possiblities beginning at a pocket schedule and ending at a 20-ticket plan. There are about 50 different ways to acquire free tickets to a game once you’re inside.